Water shortage hits schools, colleges

Water scarcity this summer has hit not just households in the district but educational institutions too.

Though most educational institutions, including State-run schools, closed for summer vacations by March, some, including the Kendriya Vidyalayas, functioned even in the peak summer months.

To tide over the water scarcity, a few among these institutions had to buy water (paying huge amounts) from private agents, who would bring it in tanker lorries on a daily basis.

Some of the institutions could not afford it, and hence had to cancel their classes or even batches in some cases.

Wells dry up

Many schools that have started ‘vacation classes’ for class X students are also finding it difficult to meet their water needs, with the wells in their compounds drying up and the public water supply undependable.

The most affected are the institutions located at elevated locations.

“Both our rainwater harvesting tanks, which we used to depend on during the dry months, had dried out by March this time, and we had to purchase water in huge tanks for our daily needs,” said Lalitha Ramachandran, Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya No.2 that is situated at Eravathukunnu, which is a hilly area.

“We had a tough time purchasing water from private agents for high rates for weeks till we closed down for vacation on May 5,” she said.

Professional colleges

The water shortage has also affected higher education institutions, including some professional colleges, in different parts of the district. “The management has given a few weeks’ vacation for some batches in our college,” said a B.Pharm student of a self-financing college here.

No heavy rain

With only two more weeks left for schools and colleges to reopen after the vacation, the district is yet to receive a single rain that could replenish the wells and ensure water in the pipes.

Several schools in the district have had to cut down on their vacation classes due to severe water shortage in the district.

“Now, if the monsoon fails to arrive on time, what awaits us will be a bigger crisis,” said the principal of an unaided school here.